Chapter Text
Prologue
August 2015
Standing at the arrivals gate in at Heathrow Airport, Rory took inventory of all her belongings; suitcase, laptop bag, purse with all her essentials, passport, notebooks, wallet, cash and credit cards. She walked past the exit towards the crowd of people waiting for their arrivals. She scanned the scene until her eyes fell upon a man holding a placard with her name. 10 minutes later she was in the back of a car spiriting her away to her hotel. There waiting for her in the lobby was the purpose of her visit; Naomi Shropshire.
She had been pursuing the Naomi Shropshire angle for about six months. This year marked the twentieth anniversary where Britain made sweeping changes in laws regarding women and sexual assault, a legislation that was spearheaded by Naomi. The changes had a great influence on other changes that took place in other Western countries, including the US. Rory, believing that a Naomi story had teeth, pitched it to various publications, finally landing with The New Yorker, featuring Naomi for their Talk of the Town column. After 5 years of chasing stories, 5 years of freelance uncertainty, five years of rejections, Rory felt an assignment that may, at last, give her solid footing in the journalism world.
For the next four days, Rory spent every waking hour following Naomi. They had lunch with her colleagues, took a two night trip to her childhood home where Rory met and interviewed old friends, teachers, and neighbors. She hung out with her in the evenings drinking coffee laced with whiskey or bourbon. It was exhausting work, as Naomi was a force to be reckoned with. She had the energy of a tornado, and the determination of a bull, but Rory was glad to have her days filled because it was not only meaningful work, but was also an excuse to avoid another matter, or rather person who occupied the non-Naomi space in her brain.
That person being Logan Huntzberger.
The last time Rory saw Logan was two months ago in Hamburg. She was at the tail end of her two-week sojourn in Germany, a mix of business and pleasure with the first part spent as a family vacation with her father and sister, exploring Berlin and Hamburg. After they parted, Rory spent two more days in Hamburg at an environmental conference, where Naomi was the keynote speaker. Rory and Logan’s chance meeting happened in a café on what was supposed to be her last day in Hamburg; the connection only happened because New York flights were canceled due to inclement weather.
Their initial contact was surprising and awkward. Her last memory of him was the profound heartbreak she felt as he walked away from her after she turned down his marriage proposal. She thought about him often throughout the years; on good days she wished him well and hoped that he was happy, while on bad days she wondered what life would be like if she had made a different decision and said yes to his proposal. She knew something’s about his life as the internet made everyone’s live public, especially someone in the media business.
She invited him to sit down and they caught up. The discomfort they felt at the onset of their meeting quickly faded, and the two of them fell back into the comfortable banter they once shared. His life went on, he was back working in the family business on his own terms, and he was engaged. He was happy, and she was happy for him. They ended up spending the day together, playing tourist, exploring the places that she missed when she toured the city with her father and sister. All the while they continued their reconnection, updating each other on relatives and mutual friends, debating issues of the day, reminiscing about college life, and exchanging stories about their lives. At the end of the evening, after more coffee, dinner and after dinner drinks, he dropped off at her hotel. Standing outside of the hotel, they exchanged contact information, promising to stay in touch. They gave each other a long affectionate hug, and on impulse, she kissed him on the cheek. Then, with a smile and a wave she turned and walked into her hotel, where once out of site she practically ran to the elevator and up to her room, where she closed the door, sat on the floor, and dissolved into tears.
Her reaction to their meeting made her hesitant to contact him again. Obviously, there were some unresolved feelings, but she could not pinpoint exactly what those feeling were. Was she still in love with him? Was she mourning the life that she could have had? Was this delayed reaction to their break-up that was so quick and had no real closure? She decided that she would not contact him as seeing him again would open old wounds that have long since healed. They both moved on, they were different people, so there was no point. However, the pull was there; the need to reach out, the curiosity of how his life would continue, the longing to connect and to be in his presence again. Maybe seeing him is what I need to do, she thought to herself. Maybe seeing him will help me resolve my feeling and get closure once and for all. It was safe after all, as he was engaged and she was seeing someone (albeit not seriously.)
Rory took solace in the fact that she probably couldn’t see him anyway as Naomi had every minute of the day booked. However, after a night out with Naomi of eating and drinking, plans changed. It started with Naomi canceling early morning on the last full day of her trip, “Dahling, so sorry, but I am feeling under the weather. I hate to cancel, but I don’t feel remotely human. Enjoy the free hotel room and play tourist for the day. I will be in touch.” said Naomi’s voicemail. At first, Rory looked at this as a good thing. She would find a place to write and dive into her article. She was here in London to work after all, not to play, and certainly not to hang out with ex-boyfriends. Yet, try as she might not to give in, she lost her resolve around lunch. Ok, she thought to herself. Just send a text. After all, it’s the last minute, he is probably busy or is out of town.
So she sent a text.
Hi, it’s Rory. I am in town for on assignment, wondering if you had time to grab of cup of coffee. I am here until tomorrow afternoon (4 pm flight.) No worries if you don’t have the time. I know it’s last minute.
After about five minutes she got an answer.
Coffee? You’re in England, it’s TEA! And just TEA? Are you free for dinner? I can show you the finer establishments of London cuisine. :)
What could she say? No? She couldn’t without looking foolish (at least that what she told herself.) She accepted, plans were made, and evening out with Logan was set. Looking at her wardrobe, Rory panicked. Nothing she brought seemed appropriate for a dinner with her ex, an ex who was engaged to a beautiful heiress who also happens to devote herself to saving the world. So instead of working, Rory spent the afternoon shopping, looking for the perfect outfit that would say, “I’m doing great but I am still devastatingly attractive” in an effective yet subtle way.
They met at a café near his office. She was drinking her coffee when she saw him walking down the street. As he walked towards, she could not help but drink him in. He certainly had changed in the last eight years. While he always exuded confidence, now it seemed more mature and substantive and less arrogant. He seemed taller, was much more fit , and by far one of the most beautiful men she’s ever known. She stood up as he walked up to her. With a bright smile, he greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. After some polite chitchat, they set off to dinner, during which Rory talked about her week with Naomi. She described her experience with Naomi and her excitement about the prospect of being published in the New Yorker and the possibilities of it leading to more. All the while she was talking, Logan paid close attention, smiling proudly at her as she recalled the week. “Work dork” Logan called her good-naturedly after she finished her account of her week in London. “Work dork dinner companion” Rory shot back.
From that point, the slight tentativeness between them broke and before they knew it, they again settled into the familiar comfort of old friends. While it had been two months since their last meeting, it seemed like two days. Dinner led to a long walk around Hyde Park where they stopped every now and then to take in various street huskers and other touristy sites. They eventually ended up at the bar of Rory’s hotel where they talked more and had after dinner drinks. Finally, around midnight, it was time to part. She walked Logan to the outside of the hotel entrance where he could hail a cab. “Thanks for a lovely evening.” She said to Logan, “It was great to see you again.”
“Yea” Logan replied, “Eight years of no contact and now, two meetings in two months. How lucky are we? Thanks for getting in touch.”
“Well, if I am in London again, or you’re back in the states, let’s make sure to get in touch again.”
“That would be great.”
Logan put his hands on her arms. They both leaned in for a hug. However, unlike the hug they had during their goodbye in Hamburg, this one went longer, getting tighter and tighter as the seconds passed. Rory felt Logan bury his face in her hair breathing her in, while she realized that her hand was stroking the hair at the back of his head. Finally, they broke their embrace, leaning their foreheads together, obviously trying to fight the wave of emotion sweeping over them. They next thing they knew they were kissing. When they parted they stood just looking at each other, holding each other’s arms, not wanting to let go. They knew that they were tied to other people; they knew that the right thing to do was to walk away and never contact each other again. But they didn’t, they couldn’t. Eight years, a lifetime of separate experiences, only to go full circle, back to the way they felt. After a moment she let go of him and took one step back, her left hand still holding his right. She looked at him, knowing that she had a decision to make. Let his hand go and you can walk away, no harm no foul, she told herself. Instead, she tightened her grip and took another step back, causing Logan to move a step forward with her. Before they took the next step Logan interjected, “Ace? Are you sure? I can go home.” He said, meaning a word while at the same time hoping she will want to continue.
Without saying a word, she stepped forward and kissed him again, then together they walked back to her hotel.
It was that moment, the moment that set her on the path to where she was today. A year and a half later, Rory could not help but play the events of that evening over and over again in her head. Why on Earth did I make that choice? she thought to herself as sat with her mother on the steps of the gazebo, watching the sunrise over the Stars Hallow town square. If she had just walked away, she wouldn’t be in this predicament. But she didn’t and now she has a major decision to make. Seeing the look of worry and concern on her face, Lorelai asked what was wrong.
“Mom?” Rory asked tentatively.
“Yea?” Lorelai replied somewhat absentmindedly.
“I’m pregnant.”
Lorelai was stunned; for once she was at a loss for words.
“Mom? Say something.”
“That’s wonderful honey.” Lorelai heard herself say with a shocked smile, “That’s wonderful...”